American delegation attends Afghan trade conference in Kabul

The Islamic Emirate will provide necessary facilities for domestic and foreign investors for the purpose of economic development and will give them their full support, the economic deputy of the prime minister said at the Afghanistan Trade and Economic Relations 2023 Conference in Kabul.

“We have provided investment opportunities to foreign investors in addition to domestic investors, and electricity has been provided for the country’s industries as far as possible, and efforts are still being made to develop electricity for the country’s industry,” said Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.

Members of an American trade delegation who participated at the conference say they are working to release the country’s frozen assets and to get sanctions on sanctions on the Afghan banking system lifted.

According to them, security in Afghanistan has been restored, which will provide the opportunity for foreign investment.

This is the first time an American trade delegation has visited the country since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s takeover.

“We are ready to cooperate with the private sector of Afghanistan, especially in the sectors that have problems, we want discussions on different economic sectors. Afghanistan is now ready for investment and we want to do joint work. We saw the situation closely today and understood the realities of Afghanistan,” said Jeff Grieco, President and CEO of the Afghan-American Chamber of Commerce.

Baradar meanwhile said that under Islamic Emirate rule in Afghanistan, the economy was seriously threatened, but that it is now improving. According to Baradar, in the past two years, administrative corruption has been eliminated, the cultivation and production of narcotics has been stamped out, and the Afghan currency has remained stable against foreign currencies.

“Islamic Emirate has provided all the necessary facilities for domestic and foreign investors and we fully support them, so they can be assured that their problems have been addressed on time,” said Mullah Baradar.

A number of Afghan investors, who attended the conference, said a lot of work has been done to attract investment in Afghanistan – and now, more than ever before, the opportunity to invest in the country has been provided.

“Our request to the American trade delegation is to present the real picture of Afghanistan to the people and the American government,” said Obaidullah Sader Khail, head of Afghan Business Council in the UAE.

After the US and NATO withdrawal from the country, and the collapse of the former government, the US froze Afghanistan’s foreign reserves that totalled about $7 billion. Sanctions were also imposed on the country’s banking system.